


Advice

by Pauliestorylover



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Basically Sam died and is reincarnated, Cryptic Danny Fenton, Death, Feelings, Gen, One Shot, Past Lives, Prompt: a strange journey with an unusual companion, Reincarnation, She has no memories of her past life, Trains
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:14:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29079201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pauliestorylover/pseuds/Pauliestorylover
Summary: The boy, Danny, was strange, and his words were wise beyond his age. Sam tolerated him, until she realized there was something uncanny about the boy.Alternately; Danny tries to give advice to a friend who does not remember him.
Relationships: Danny Fenton & Sam Manson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 52





	Advice

**Author's Note:**

> A fun thing to do: turn your school assignment into a vaguely-worded fanfic

The train rumbled beneath Sam’s feet, sending vibrations up her bones. The thrum was both exhilarating and comforting, taking the sharp edge of her senses and dulling her nerves. She wondered if this was what cats felt when they purred.

This late at night, the train cart was empty. Apart from the conductor she had seen hours ago, she had not seen a single soul since boarding the train. _This is a ghost train_ , her mind whispered. Sam had no idea why that sounded funny. Perhaps sleep deprivation was catching up to her.

After all, she hadn’t had a decent night of rest since the day her parents died.

_It was a freak accident_ , the construction company had said, _we offer you our condolences._ Sam knew better. The construction company her parents worked at was notorious for its lack of adherence to safety regulations.

She had been up researching about the company’s law breaking every night, ever since that fateful day. There were more instances than she could count. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.

The more Sam found, the more her fiery hatred for the company festered. At some point, Sam swore an oath—she would topple the company from its throne; destroy it until its reputation was in tatters. She would seek vengeance for her parents, and for everyone the company had hurt.

No matter what it cost her.

After all, what was the importance of a few sleepless nights, when she had such an essential task to complete? She would destroy her health a hundred times over, if it meant she could finally have her revenge.

The social worker’s decision to ship her off to her estranged uncle threw a wench in her plans, but it was nothing Sam couldn’t overcome. If the worst came about and Sam’s uncle tried to stop her research, she would just run away.

Still, that didn’t mean Sam was particularly keen about being sent away to the middle of nowhere, especially since this journey was cutting into her research time.

She glowered at the stars twinkling outside the train cart’s window. They stared back, almost as if they were mocking her.

Once, years ago, Sam’s parents had taken her out to the countryside. The night sky had looked the same. How dare the stars remain the same when her world had changed so much? How dare they shine so bright when her world had all but fallen apart?

Someone cleared their throat.

Sam startled out of her thoughts. There was a boy sitting next to her. When did he arrive? She didn’t hear him coming.

The boy had black hair and blue eyes—an appearance just like any other boy. Yet, something about him was…off. Unsettling. Sam’s instincts screamed at her to run, to hide, to leave this strange boy far behind. She resolutely pushed those instincts aside.

“Hello, Sam.” The boy greeted.

Sam narrowed her eyes. How did he know her name? “I don’t know you.”

“Maybe you did, in another life.” The boy frowned, “Or you would have.” He gazed upwards at the night sky, smiling sadly. It looked as if the entire Milky Way was reflected in his eyes. “Life is funny, isn’t it? You’re only ever one step away from an entirely different reality. Maybe, in another world, you would’ve dyed your hair black, or pink, or blue, or any other color. Maybe you would’ve become a Goth. Maybe you would’ve taken up botany. Maybe you would’ve become a vegan. Or, maybe your parents would’ve owned a construction company, instead of being construction workers. Maybe—“

_Maybe, in another world, her parents would’ve been alive._

Irritation sparked in Sam’s chest. She interrupted, scowling, “How do you know about my parents? Actually, how do you even know my name?”

The boy stiffened, as if caught in a lie. Then, his features smoothed over, “The news reported about your parents’…ah, tragedy.”

Yeah, right. As if she’d believe that was the only way he knew about her. Sam definitely had a stalker. Still, the boy was the only company she was going to get for the next few hours, and he wasn’t putting her in any danger. Yet. “You know,” Sam said conversationally, “I never caught your name.”

The boy visibly breathed a sigh of relief, probably because he thought Sam believed him. If he relaxed any further, Sam had a feeling he might end up as a puddle on the floor. “Call me Danny.”

Danny. That was an awfully normal name for such a strange boy.

Something must’ve shown on her face, because the boy asked with no small amount of amusement, “Not what you expected?”

“Not really,” Sam admitted. She had expected…something more cryptic, something uncanny.

The two sat in silence. Sam studied Danny. He was strangely pale, as if he had spent a long period of time away from the sun. He also never blinked.

Sam frowned; that wasn’t right.

“I once lost someone close to me too,” Danny said suddenly. Melancholy danced on his face. “You remind me of her, actually. I was in denial for a long time. Then, when I finally accepted she was _dead_ , I turned to revenge, tried to destroy the person I thought was responsible for her death. I neglected everything else—my friends, my family, my health…I nearly lost everything.” He looked at Sam, “I don’t want the same thing to happen to you.”

Sam scowled; was he trying to lecture her? Their situations were _different_. “Are you saying I should just give up? This isn’t just about _me_ , or my parents. This is about everyone the construction company hurt. They deserve closure. And the company deserves to be destroyed. It must be stopped so that no one else gets hurt.”

“I…” Danny hesitated. “Someone once taught me the difference between revenge and justice. ‘Revenge is a wild fire: it burns and consumes everyone it touches;’” he quoted, “’Justice is a carefully controlled flame: it burns only a select few, and from the ashes rise something bright and beautiful.’ I think the point is that revenge is bad, but justice is good. You can’t let revenge consume every aspect of your life, or you will burn out.” His eyes burned bright green with intensity as he stared at Sam, “Promise me you won’t do that.”

Why should she promise a stranger anything? She—wait. Danny’s eyes weren’t green before. “Your eyes are green.”

Danny’s brows creased, “And?”

Sam swallowed, “They were blue before.” She should’ve followed her instincts. No matter how nice the boy acted and what good advice he gave, she was still stuck in an empty train cart with someone…something…unnatural. Was Danny even a boy?

“Oh.” Danny paused, “Must be the light.” He laughed nervously. Since when did he have fangs? “You look tired, so I guess I should leave you now. Good night, Sam. Think about what I said.”

Tired? How could she sleep when she just realized she had spent the last hour chatting with a...a…

Sam’s eyelids drooped.

She woke up to the sun shining in her eyes, in an empty train cart where the strange boy was nowhere to be found.


End file.
